Mutual of Omaha to sell Medicare Advantage in 2019

In a press release Wednesday, Mutual of Omaha announced it will team up with Lumeris, Inc. to offer Medicare Advantage plans in 2019.

Since 1966, Mutual of Omaha has been the second-largest source of Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans, but has never sold Medicare Advantage. Mutual of Omaha executive vice president Brad Buechler says this comes on the heels of the Kaiser Family Foundation’s prediction that 40 percent of Medicare recipients will use Medicare Advantage plans by 2027, in addition to decreasing Medicare Supplement sales.

“We’re confident that our collaboration with Lumeris will lead to better health outcomes for our Medicare Advantage customers,” James Blackledge, Mutual Chairman and CEO, said in the release.

Lumeris, based in St. Louis, will take care of setting up provider networks. The company will also look at statistics in metropolitan areas to see where the new plans can compete for “better outcomes” for clients.